Programs

The Office of Emergency Management evolved from the Department of Civil Defense, which formed within the executive branch as part of the Civil Defense Act of 1949. The initial duties of the Department were to deal with disasters including those caused by “enemy attack, sabotage, or other hostile action, or from fire, flood, earthquake, or natural causes.” In 1967, the Department of Civil Defense was renamed the Department of Emergency Services. This name change reflected a policy shift that emphasized dealing with natural disasters rather than military conflict. In 1969, the Department of Emergency Services was transferred to the newly created Executive Department and the name was changed to the Emergency Services Division. In 1981 the name changed to the Emergency Management Division. In the 1993 move from the Executive Department to the State Police the name changed to Oregon Emergency Management. In 2007, it moved from the Oregon State Police to the Oregon Military Department where it remains today and changed to the current Office of Emergency Management. The Office of Emergency Management coordinates and maintains a statewide emergency services system for emergency and disaster communications. OEM is divided into three sections: Technology and Response, Mitigation and Recovery, and Plans and Training. OEM awards grant funding to local governments, coordinates search and rescue efforts, and the State 9-1-1 Program. The Drought Council and Oregon Seismic Safety Advisory Commission (OSSPAC) also operate out of OEM.